ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The interim president of Syria on Tuesday pledged a state monopoly on weapons and promised to form a transitional justice committee.

"The unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation,” Ahmed al-Sharaa said while delivering the opening speech of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference in Damascus. 

"Syria is indivisible,” Sharaa said. "it is a complete whole, and its strength lies in its unity.”

"Handing weapons to the state is a duty and an obligation," Sharaa said.

Transitional justice is crucial to a successful transition and legitimate governance in Syria, something Sharaa said they would guarantee. 

"Over the past two months, we have worked on pursuing those who committed crimes against Syrians,” Sharaa said.

The interim president of Syria went on to say that they will "work on forming a transitional justice body to restore people's rights, ensure justice, and, God willing, bring criminals to justice."

The national dialogue conference is seen as a major step towards shaping the country’s future and governance after a civil war, which subsequently led to the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in early December. 

Participants of the conference, estimated to be around 600, are set to hold workshops on the sidelines of the event to discuss transitional justice, human rights, freedom, the role of civil society, and the country’s economy.

The national dialogue’s outcome will be nonbinding recommendations to the current administration in Damascus.